Toilet flush control



1962 c. M. GOODWIN 3,047,882

TOILET FLUSH CONTROL Filed Feb. 5, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Char/es M. Goodwin 1N VENTOR.

1962 c. M. GOODWIN 3,047,882

- TOILET FLUSH CONTROL Filed Feb. 3, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Charles M. Goodwin IN VEN TOR.

BY WWW Unite dtats asnssz Patented Aug. '3 1962 3,4'7,832 TtjllLlET FLUEH (IUIJTRUL Charles M. Goodwin, Rte. 2, Mount Vernon, @hio Filed Feb 3, 196%, Set. No. 659d 7 Claims. (Cl. l -67) This invention relates to flush mechanisms for toilets and more particularly to both a conversion for existing flush mechanisms and a new flush mechanism to be used as original equipment.

An object of the invention is to provide a toilet flush control which provides the user with the option of obtaining a full flush or any portion thereof and without the use of any additional levers, controls, knobs, buttons, handles, or the equivalent.

The concept of providing for a partial flush is not new. However, prior constructions have always resulted in complications which outweighed the usefulness of the flush control mechanism. in all cases of which i am aware, an additional handle of some kind is required. First of all, this is an inconvenience and secondly, this usually means altering the china flush tank to make an other hole in it. This is a serious difficulty since manu facturers are reluctant to introduce a new line of china tanks, and manually drilling a china tank is not an en viable task.

Another difficulty in prior mechanisms for achieving partial flushes is in the operating mechanism itself. A flush mechanism cannot be made complex because the moving parts are subject to corrosive accumulations, and the nature of the outflow valve. it is diflicult enough to maintain the outflow valve in proper adjustment so that it does not leak, with the simplest type of flush mechanism. When the operating parts are encumbered with too many mechanical linkages and parasitic working parts, the operation of the outflow valve becomes entirely too critical for long-lasting satisfactory service.

Briefly, a toilet flush control mechanism in accordance with the invention is embodied in a single additional stem slidably connected with the outflow valve stem, and an alteration in the connection between the conventional stern which attaches to the same outflow valve stem and the lift lever. The two stems, i.e., the stem provided by the invention and the stem ordinarily found in conventional flush mechanisms, are attached to the lift lever by a lost motion connection and a pair of stops. Apart from suitable guides, this is the structural nucleus of the flush control mechanism of the invention. In order to assure long and satisfactory service, a spring may be attached to the lever to function as a return spring, and a very handy place to connect this spring is to the lever and to the bushing nut at the pivot end of the lift lever or arm.

In view of the foregoing it is seen that commercial practicability and simplicity as well as great flexibility of flush quantity selection, are features of this invention.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FlGURE 1 is an elevational View of a flush tank, parts broken away to expose otherwise obscure details of construction, this figure showing the flush tank mechanism as it would appear prior to a typical operational use.

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 but showing the water being discharged from the tank and the mechanism in the proper position during the procedure.

FIGURE 3 is a View similar to FIGURE 1 but showing the flush mechanism being operated to select approximately one-half the water as the desired amount for the flush of the toilet.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on the line l l of FlGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional View on an enlarged scale taken on the line 55 of FIGURE 1.

FlGURE 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 66 of FiGUl-lli l and on an enlarged scale.

7 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of FIGURE 1.

In the accompanying drawings there is an illustration of a conventional china tank lti with its lid 12.? and a number of parts which are purely conventional and unaltered by the existence of the toilet flush control mechanism of the invention. These include overflow tube 14, outflow fitting comprising a seat 16, outflow ball valve 18, refill tube float 22 and float arm 24. The lift lever or arm as is also conventional in construction and has a pivoted end 23 passed through an opening 39 in the wall of the flush tank Hi. The handle 32 for operating the lift arm or lever is also conventional and attached to pivoted end 28 of lever as; Stem 34 attached to outflow valve 13 is an ordinary stein equipped with an eye 36 at the upper end thereof. Ordinarily, stem or lift rod 38 is equipped with in single eye at its lower end and is engaged in one of the openings in the lift lever or arm as so that upon operation of handle 32, the lift lever 26 elevates stems and This com nences the flush cycle of an ordinary flush tank mechanism. Since the above assembly is quite common, no minute details are given. I

The invention improves the operation of the flush mechanism by the inclusion of stem or push rod 39 which has a right angular lower end 42 equipped with an eye 44 thr ugh which stem 34 passes. Stem 33 is altered to the extent that it has two eyes as and id at its lower end, and stems and 39, respectively, pass through the eyes 46 and (FIGURE 6). Guide 5% attached to overflow tube 14, is altered to the extent that it has two guide passages 52 and 54, one passage for each of the stems 34 and 39, below eyes 46 and A support bracket on is secured to the lift lever or arm for instance, by a small screw or screws 62. The support bracket is reguircd as a portion of a lost motion connection between stems 38 and 39. Therefore, the bracket has a pair of spaced slots at formed therein, and the bracket is simply slipped over the end of lever 26 by having the lever enter and pass through the slots 66. A lateral shelf 67 of the bracket so is equipped with a pair of apertures through which stems and 39 pass. There are two adjustable stops '72 and 74 on stems 38 and 339, stop 72 being above flange 67, and stop 74 being below the same flange. Setscrews '73 secure the stops 72 and 74 on the stems and 39.

There are resilient return means connected with lift arm or lever 26. These means preferably, but not necessarily, consist of a leaf spring 73 (FlGURE 4) having one end '79 coupled to the pivot assembly for the pivoted inner end of lift lever 2s. The opposite end of the spring has a saddle 8t formed therein which embraces the lower part of the lift lever 2s. The spring 78 is essentially U- shaped and the bias of the spring is in a direction tending to return the lift arm or lever 26 to the rest or original position.

in operation, handle 32 is actuated in the usual way. Notice that there is no alteration of tank to whatsoever and further, there are no additional manual controls, .ie., the controls in addition to the usual handle 32. When the handle is lifted, the lift lever 26 is elevated thereby commencing the flush operation by elevating the stems and 34, respectively. Stem 39 simply floats or idles as shown in FIGURE 2 during this procedure. if nothing more were done the flush would be absolutely conventional.

However, should a person decide to reduce the quantity of the flush to any amount whatsoever, he would simply operate handle 32 in the oppoiste direction. This is depicted in FIGURE 3, and what happens is that the bracket 6%) is moved downward until a part of it contacts stop 74 and this pushes stem 39 downward. The eye 44 on stem 39 physically pushes the outflow valve 18 down until it seats upon the outflow fitting 16, and this discontinues the flush. Thereafter, spring 78 will automatically return the lever 26 to its rest position. Notice that in the event that the outflow valve 18 does not seat properly, i.e., there is a slight leakage, all the person has to do is operate the handle 32 in a proper direction to cause the stem 39 to be depressed to the extent that the eye 44 thereof physically pushes the outflow valve 18 to a seated position.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In a flush mechanism which has a lift lever and a stem and an outflow valve provided with a stem engaged with the first-mentioned stem, the improvement comprising a flush quantity control means which includes a third stern, means slidingly connecting the third stem with the outflow valve stem, and lost motion connection means slidably attaching said first-mentioned stern and said third stem to one end portion of said lever for limited sliding movement, said lost motion connection means including a bracket connected with said lever and having apertures, said first and third stems passed through said apertures, and stops connected with said first and third stems respectively and adapted to be engaged by said bracket.

2. In a flush mechanism which has a lift lever and a stem and an outflow valve provided with a stem engaged with the first-mentioned stem, the improvement comprising a flush quantity control means which includes a third stem, means slidingly connecting the third stem with the outflow valve stem, and lost motion connection means slidably attaching said first mentioned stem and said third stem to one end portion of said lever for limited sliding movement, said 10st motion connection means including a bracket connected with said lever and having apertures, said first and third stems passed through said apertures, and stops connected with said first and third stems respectively and adapted to be engaged by said bracket, means connected with said stops for adjustably positioning said stops on said first and third stems.

3. The subject matter of claim 2 wherein said adjustable positioning means include set screws.

4. The subject matter of claim 2 wherein there is a return spring connected with said lift lever to return said lift lever to a rest position.

5. The subject matter of claim 2 wherein said first stem has two eyes at the lower end thereof, said outflow valve stem passed through one of said eyes, and said third stem passed through the other of said eyes.

6. In a fiush mechanism which has an outflow valve provided with a stem, and a first stem connected with said outflow valve stem for lifting said outflow valve, a flush control comprising a mechanical connection including a lever slidably connected at one end to the first stem to elevate said first stem, and means slidably connecting said one end of said lever of said mechanical means and said outflow valve stem for physically returning said outflow valve in response to movement of said lever in one direction, said mechanical means including a bracket provided with apertures through which said first and third stems pass, and stops attached to said first and third stems and located 011 opposite sides of said bracket.

7. The subject matter of claim 6 wherein there is a return spring operatively connected with said lever to return said lever to a rest position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,676,234 Gove July 3, 1928 2,685,694 Allison Aug. 10, 1954 2,746,060 Troyano May 22, 1956 2,849,725 Armstrong et a1. Sept. 2, 1958 

